The Downing Arts Podcast

Former Education student Lily Ellis drops by one year after graduation; we also hear from Jude Hughes about a play he has written.Cover image credit Louisa Denby.-=-=-=-Thursday 18 June, 5.30pm, Chapel: Chapel Choir May Week Concerthttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/downing-choir-may-week-recital-tickets-1988271907799Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June at 5pm, Saturday 20 June at 4pm, East Lodge Garden: DDS present 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'https://www.camdram.net/shows/2026-the-merry-wives-of-windsorFriday 19 June, 2pm, Masters' Lodge: DCMS May Week Concert & Garden PartySaturday 20 June, 3.15pm, Chapel: Donors' Day Organ Recitalhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/organ-recital-tickets-1985939075234-=-=-=-Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 June, 9.30pm, Corpus Playroom: 'Giving Out'. Tickets available here.

Purchasing & Stores Manager David Stroud tells the story of his first encounter with 'Alien'.Cover image by Jacob-the-fox-critic, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.-=-=-=-Thursday 27, Friday 28, and Saturday 29 November, 7.15pm, Howard Theatre: DDS Christmas Comedy Show. Tickets available here.Friday 28 November, 3-4pm, E-Staircase Music Room: Juggling Workshop with Guinness World Record-holder James Cozens. Tickets available here.Friday 28 November, 5pm, E-Staircase Music Room: Piano Recital by Tom Yang.Saturday 29 November, 9-11pm, JCR: Christmas Jazz with Downing Jazz Band.Sunday 30 November, 5-6pm, Heong Gallery: Q&A with James McDermott. Tickets available here.Sunday 30 November, 6pm, Chapel: Advent Carol Service. Queue early to avoid disappointment.Archive Exhibition: Downing in the Second World War, Library: all welcome.'A Gap in the Clouds' Exhibition in the Heong Gallery continues until Sunday 8 February 2026. Free entry, all welcome.-=-=-=-Call for applications: DDS Freshers' Play Director & Producer. If you are interested in either of these roles, please email president@dds.dow.cam.ac.uk.Call for submissions: 'The Leaves'. Email leaves@dow.cam.ac.uk.Staff & Fellows' Carol Service, Monday 15 December: If you would like to sing in the scratch choir, or give a reading, please email college.music@dow.cam.ac.uk

Visiting Scholar Demetrius Floudas enthuses about the Mask of Agamemnon, and we hear from one of the directors of this week's DDS show, 'An Evening with Chekhov.'Cover image: Xuan Che, 'Mask of Agamemnon', licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.-=-=-=-Thursday 13 November, 6pm, Emmanuel College Chapel: The Chapel Choir join forces with our friends across the road for a Choral Eucharist featuring Langlais' 'Messe Solennelle'.Thursday 13, Friday 14, and Saturday 15 November, 7.30pm, Howard Theatre: DDS present 'An Evening with Chekhov'. Tickets available here.Sunday 16 November, 5.30pm, Chapel: Former Organ Scholar Carl Jackson returns to give a short recital, which will be followed by a Choral Eucharist. Tickets available here.Monday 17 November, 5pm, Heong Gallery: Artist Talk with Jerusha West, whose work links with themes of the current Gallery exhibition. Email fl452 for more details.Monday 17 November, 6pm, Music Office, T staircase: Session for beginner singers. Email college.music@dow for more information.Archive Exhibition: Downing in the Second World War, Library: all welcome.'A Gap in the Clouds' Exhibition in the Heong Gallery continues until Sunday 8 February 2026. Free entry, all welcome.

Downing's Creative Arts Co-ordinator Fran Rothwell-Hughes introduces the new Gallery Exhibition 'A Gap in the Clouds'.Cover photo: Edvard Munch, Melancholy, 1902. Woodcut, 38.2-38.5 x 45.5-49.5cm. Private collection, Norway. Photograph: Sidsel de Jong.-=-=-=-Thursday 30 October, 12.30-1pm, Gallery: Curator's Tour 'A Gap in the Clouds'. All welcome; booking not required.Sunday 2 November, 6pm, Chapel: Evensong for All Saints, sung by the Chapel Choir. Music by Stanford and Harris.Monday 3 November, 6-6.30pm, Music Office T staircase: Session for beginner singers. Email college.music@dow if you'd like to come along.Monday 3 November, 6-8pm, Gallery: Creative workshop with art therapist Honorata. Booking essential: email wellbeing-advisor@dow.cam.ac.uk.-=-=-=-Saturday 1 November, 5pm, Falcons Deli, AL9 5JD: 'Schubertiade' with Declan Hickey and Daniel Gilchrist. A 19th-century programme of songs by Chopin and Moniuszko. Tickets £5 available from irena@falconskitchens.com.